Suspected arsonist, 22, found by Irvine police using drone

A suspected arsonist who allegedly set trash cans on fire was caught in the backyard of an Irvine home this week after police used a drone with an infrared camera to find him, authorities said.

Kaveh Shahriari, 22, was placed in handcuffs and led out through a side walkway of the home on Wyndover, drone footage posted by Irvine police shows. It wasn’t immediately known how long officers had used the drone to search for Shahriari before he was located.

The fires were set in the Stonegate residential community, which sits just west of the 133 Toll Road, authorities said.

Irvine police were called to a home on Rembrandt, near Jeffrey Road and Irvine Boulevard, about 2:35 a.m. Wednesday, May 27, on a report of several trash can fires, Sgt. Karie Davies said.

Officers found burned contents in four trash cans and also a SUV parked on a street that had sustained heat damage, Davies said.

As police investigated, another witness called and said he saw the man set another trash can ablaze on nearby Parkdale. The witness told police he chased the man but lost sight of him, Davies said.

Police set up a perimeter, and found Shahriari underneath an awning near the back door of a home, Davies said. Two officers, an operator and a spotter, guided the drone.

Shahiari’s body heat and movement were picked up by the drone’s infrared camera, which illuminated him in white against a darker surrounding backdrop. He was taken into custody without incident.